


Another World

by alwaystwice



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Childhood Memories, Gen, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Magic, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-14 02:40:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21008360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaystwice/pseuds/alwaystwice
Summary: Despite knowing where his life would lead him, Mark wasn't ready for his life to drastically change. Shortly after leaving his sheltered life to join a coven run by Moon Taeil and Lee Taeyong, he learns that he may have bitten off more than he could chew.





	1. you're a witch, mark!

**Author's Note:**

> hello... i have never posted my work on here before and truthfully i have no idea what i'm doing ! hopefully over time i will learn and be more comfortable posting on here :) but with that aside, i hope you enjoy this story! i'm a big idiot too so i don't have the entire story planned out and i'm still debating how i want things to go.... so don't be alarmed if tags keep being added wjwhewj

For Mark’s entire life, he knew how things were going to work out. At a young age, he discovered his first power, healing. He discovered it while on the playground when his friend fell and scraped his knee. He put his hand over the scrape, not knowing that it would disappear. He, along with his friend found it amazing. His parents, however, forbade him from ever playing with Mark again. Normal people aren’t fond of the witch bloodline that will inevitably be found. It took a toll on Mark and his parents allowed him to finish school in a private academy where he was able to restart his life and hide the fact he was a witch. He wasn’t particularly happy with his situation and it was just easier to live that way, to restart everything. Once he reached the age of 20, he would move to his first coven. He didn’t know much about the coven life, but he was formally invited to one with 9 others. On his moving day, he carried his suitcases to the car and awkwardly comforted his mother as she tearfully said goodbye, and then hopped into the car that took him far away from what he knew. The car ride was a blur, thanks to his nerves. He spent hours bouncing his leg and picking at his fingers, nervous to meet his new housemates. Before he knew it, he was carrying his bags to a large, secluded house.

Standing in front of the huge doors, he felt a lump in his throat. Setting down his luggage, he wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans and rang the doorbell. The door immediately opened, a tall man standing in front of some of the other members of the coven. “Mark, right?” 

Mark’s eyes grew wide, and he nodded. “Yeah, yeah. That’s me.” he picked up his bags. “Uh, where should I put these?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He looked back to one of the people standing behind him. “Hey, Donghyuck? Get Doyoung and Jaehyun for me.” he turned back to Mark. “They can take your bags. Come in.” he stepped back, letting Mark in. The house was huge. 2 people - who he assumed where Jaehyun and Doyoung - were walking down the stairs. 

“This the new kid?” one of them asked. He picked up one of Mark’s bags like it was a piece of paper.

“Sure is!” the man who opened the door for him answered. “Alright everyone, you know the drill. Make sure everyone knows Mark is here so we can do our introductions which I know everyone loves to do!” he called. He walked to Mark and put an arm around his shoulders. “We’re really glad to have you here, Mark. I’m Johnny, by the way.” Mark just nodded. “I’m Mark - wait, you already know that… um…” he laughed awkwardly, but Johnny smiled at him reassuringly. “I was nervous my first day here, too. I was one of the first people here, but I was still a wreck. Don’t worry about it.” He walked Mark to the dining room, where people were already hanging around a large table. Johnny did a quick headcount. “Where’s Jungwoo?” 

One of them groaned. “That idiot just put himself to sleep. I’ll go wake him up. Hopefully, I’ll come back down here uninjured.” he walked out of the room and 2 more people entered. 

“Alright, everyone, sit down,” Johnny said. “Mark, you can sit here at the head of the table.”

“Oh? Shouldn’t… the leader..? Sit here?” he asked. 

Johnny chuckled. “Not today. You’re the newest member, it’s all about you today.”

Mark took his seat, hating the feeling of everyone’s eyes on him. The last two members entered the room, one with messy hair and sleepy eyes, scowling at everyone. That must be Jungwoo.

“Alright everyone!” one of them stood up. “Let’s welcome our new member, Mark Lee!” everyone softly cheered and clapped, making Mark chuckle awkwardly again. “Mark, would you like to introduce yourself first or last?” he asked. Everyone turned to him. 

“C-Can I go last?” Mark asked softly. 

The man gave him a small smile. “Of course. Taeil, you wanna start?” he asked. 

Taeil introduced himself. He was the oldest member at only 25 years old. He said he enjoyed listening to music and watching movies. He was planning to study music. He had been accepted into university, but at the end of the day, he changed his mind and decided to start a coven instead. His powers included memory manipulation, which is self-explanatory, temporal stasis, the ability to control the flow of time, and superhuman endurance. He helped one of the other members, Taeyong, create the coven. 

Taeyong introduced himself next. He said that from a very young age, he decided he wanted to be a part of a coven. He didn’t hide the fact that he was a witch, and although it regularly got him scrutinized, he remained proud. Mark envied that. He looks cold on the outside but is a very kind person. The other people softly cheered for his well-put speech. His powers included agility, body insertion, and empathy.

Johnny was next. Johnny has been all over the world as a child, where he discovered his omnilingual power. As a child, he wanted to be a photographer when he got older, but he slowly realized that his life couldn’t realize revolve around anything besides being a witch. His other powers include telekinesis, and temporal stasis, like Taeil. 

Yuta was Japanese. He had spent most of his life in Japan. He wanted to be a football player. He got a scholarship for his football skills, but then everyone found out he was a witch and explained that it was easier for him to leave and join the coven here, via Johnny’s invitation. His powers included regeneration, meaning he could heal any injury he or anyone around him sustained, telekinesis, and super-hearing.

Doyoung introduced himself next. He sounded like he had introduced him thousands of times before. He was an aspiring singer before joining the coven. His family wanted to erase all proof of him being a witch so he could be successful, but like most witches, it became too hard for him to hide it. His powers included invisibility, super-speed, and he was a human voodoo doll, meaning if he was focusing on someone else while receiving pain, the other person would feel it instead. “Do you wanna see?” Doyoung asked after explaining his last power. 

“Huh?” Mark asked. “Like the voodoo thing? I don’t know..” he chuckled. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you. Just a pinch on the arm.” Doyoung smiled. 

“Alright.. go ahead.” Mark waited for Doyoung’s example. 

Doyoung rolled up his sleeve and fixated his eyes on Mark, and then gave himself a small pinch. Mark, to no surprise, felt it, making him laugh nervously. “That’s… yeah, that’s pretty cool.”

Jaehyun was next. He talked about living in the U.S. for a few years, and how he discovered he had powers while he was there. He didn’t realize he had them until he was 8 years old. He also didn’t know it was unusual. He thought everyone else had powers too. But once he realized he was a witch, he became terrified that something bad would happen to him, and he completely changed as a person until he left the U.S. His powers included audible inundation, the power to overwhelm someone’s mind with voices or other sounds, super-strength, and hovering. 

Sicheng started his introduction. He explained that he was in Japan for a dance competition when he met Yuta, who was there supporting some of his friends from school. They became friends, found out they were both witches and decided to come to the coven together. Sicheng’s family didn’t have anything to do with him because he was a witch, so Sicheng wouldn’t have a family searching for him. His classmates knew his situation and left behind a note that said he was sorry for leaving so suddenly, but he knew that he would be happier at the coven. His powers included fear amplification, meaning he could make people feel indescribable fear, knowledge absorption, and super-strength. 

Jungwoo, who was still in the process of waking up said his story wasn’t as interesting as everyone else’s. He just decided to join the coven because he found it interesting. His sister was also a witch but had left when he was in middle school to join a coven, so he wanted to do the same. Mark felt relieved because their stories were similar. Jungwoo’s other powers included discord, sleep induction, and invulnerability, which meant he was immune to most types of physical damage. 

Donghyuck introduced himself. He wasn’t 20 yet, which was usually the age that people joined covens, but he joined the coven when Jungwoo did when he was 18 because he had nowhere else to go. He ran away from home because his parents didn’t like the fact that he was a witch, like Sicheng. Jungwoo was his classmate. He was older than Donghyuck, but they got along when and when he explained his situation to Jungwoo, he went to Johnny and asked if they could do anything to help. His powers included power replication, meaning he could copy other people’s powers, luck granting, and atmokinesis. 

The room fell silent and Mark realized that it was his turn. “Oh, well, I’m Mark. I guess my life has been pretty normal. I realized I was different pretty early on… I have audible inundation, like Jaehyun.. and healing, and mind control as powers.. so, yeah.” He said. 

“Wow, mind control and clairaudience… what’s that like?” Johnny asked. 

“Ah, it kind of sucked at first but now that I know how to control it, it’s manageable,” Mark replied. 

“Well, we hope you feel comfortable here. We understand this is a big change but I’m sure you’ll fit in just right.” Taeil said, standing up. He walked to where Mark sat and put a hand on his shoulder. “We still have a lot more to go over but that can wait. I don’t want to bore you to death. Donghyuck, can you show him his room?” He asked the youngest. 

Donghyuck nodded and stood up, leading Mark upstairs to a nice-sized room. “Be prepared to sit and listen to Taeyong and Taeil talk about all the boring shit that comes along with being in a coven. The conferences, the whole losing lives thing...” he groaned. “It’s all so boring. Just smile and nod.” He leaned against the frame of Mark’s door. 

Mark looked at him with large eyes. “I don’t know anything about… well, all the things you just mentioned.” He said. “My witch history is kind of rusty.” 

“Well, you’ll learn. It’s not super complex, just lengthy.” He grinned. “You can call me Hyuck, by the way.” He looked behind him as Jungwoo walked through the hallway. 

“Can you wake me up for dinner?” Jungwoo asked. 

Hyuck laughed. “Sure.” 

Jungwoo smiled softly and shuffled into his room that was directly across from Mark’s. “Ah, right.” Hyuck continued, turning back to Mark. “Dinner is at 6:00 p.m. every night, so you’ve got quite some time to spare. You can explore wherever you want or you can have someone give you a tour or something.” He said. “We’re all downstairs if you need any of us.”

Mark nodded. “Thanks.” Hyuck turned and left, leaving Mark in the empty room. There was a dresser, a closet, and a bed that was neatly made already. Mark knew he probably should’ve started unpacking, but instead, he laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Everyone seemed nice but he was still nervous. They were technically his family now. He sat back up, getting out of bed and grabbing one of the smaller suitcases he brought with him and hoisting it onto the bed. He opened it up to see the clothes he had packed. On top of the clothes, though, was an envelope with “Mark” written on it. It was in his mother’s handwriting. He picked the envelope up, flipping it over and ripping it open. 

“Mark, my son. I think it’s time that I come to terms that you are all grown up. Your father and I have watched you struggle with these problems since you were a child. Even if you didn’t think we could see it, we knew you were hurting and it hurt us even more because we couldn’t do anything to help you. But you always did so well. You never let anyone put you down. And even though you’ll be far away, and we don’t know where you are, knowing that you’ll be happy there makes everything worth it. I don’t know how long it will be, but when I see you again I hope to see a happier Mark. One who is full of pride of who he is, not ashamed. We love you so much. 

Love, Mom.”

Tears fell onto the paper that Mark was reading. He sniffled, setting the paper down and wiping his eyes. He groaned, shaking his head and pressing the backs of his hands against his eyes to make the tears stop. He put the letter into the suitcase and closed it. Was he ready for his life to change this much? For his whole life, he only knew the same things. And now, that was all gone.

“You okay?” A voice asked, making Mark jump out of his skin. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Mark breathed. Johnny walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to him. 

“The first few weeks are always rough. I still get homesick.” Johnny admitted. Mark stayed quiet. “It’s not as bad as it seems. You’ll get used to it.” Johnny continued. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here. I think we’ll get along well.”

Mark nodded. He thought about some of the things Hyuck talked about when he was telling him about meeting with Taeyong and Taeil. “I’m kind of behind on my witch history. Hyuck was telling me some things when he brought me up here... what’s with the whole lives thing?” Mark asked. 

Johnny’s smile faded. “Well, every witch is born with three hearts. Not physically, but mentally, I guess. They’re kind of a superiority thing. They’re mostly used to decide who the ‘supreme’ of each cousin will be. We haven’t discussed all of that here yet but… Taeil can explain that to you. Every time you experience real heartbreak, or something along those lines, you lose a heart. Once you lose a heart, you can’t be a supreme.” Johnny explained. 

Mark nodded slowly. “Okay. I think I get it. How do you know when you lose a heart?”

“Oh, trust me. You’ll know. When you lose a heart, you get excruciating pain in your chest. You feel like you can’t breathe… your lungs burn.” Johnny said. “It’s a bad feeling.”

“Have you lost one?” Mark asked softly. 

Johnny nodded. “I lost one when I was 17 when I lost my dad. I thought I was dying.” He stared blankly ahead. “I’ve never talked about hearts with anyone else here, so I don’t know if anyone else has experienced it but if that haven’t I hope they never do.” He stood up and walked towards the door. 

“I’m sorry for bringing it up.” Mark jumped up. 

Johnny smiled. “It’s okay. It… doesn’t hurt as much to talk about anymore.” He turned and left the room. 

Mark sighed. “You idiot.” He said to himself. He sat back down on the bed and checked the time on his phone. It was almost 3 p.m., so he still had a lot of time to spare. “I should probably unpack..” he muttered. He finally began unpacking his things, shoving his clothes into the dresser and pulling out things he had brought from home like a photo album and his journal. But no matter what it did, the room still felt foreign to him. He shrugged it off. It was his first day, after all. He wanted to go back downstairs, but he still felt awkward. So after unpacking his things, he laid down on the bed. He didn’t realize how tired he was. Did unpacking exhaust him that much? He closed his eyes, letting sleep engulf him.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.” Mark opened his eyes to see Hyuck in the doorway. He raised his head. Didn’t he just fall asleep? He grabbed his phone again. It was now 6 p.m.

“Dinner time?” Mark asked, coughing to get rid of the lump of sleep that was lodged in his throat. 

“Yep. Jaehyun cooked.” Hyuck said. “He’s probably the best cook out of all of us. One time I choked on his food and he just laughed and watched.” 

“Oh,” Mark said, standing up and stretching. “That’s… unfortunate.” He walked downstairs with Hyuck and into the dining room where the introduced themselves. People were already getting their food. It smelled good and made Mark feel more comfortable somehow. 

“Hyuck, thank you for bringing Mark down but I asked you to get Jungwoo,” Taeyong said, sliding a fork across the table to where Doyoung sat.

Hyuck stopped in his tracks. “Right! I knew I was forgetting something.” he bounded back upstairs. 

“Do you like pad thai, Mark?” Jaehyun asked.

Mark nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ve had it before. It was good.” he sat down next to Sicheng, who was reading a piece of paper. “What are you reading?” Mark asked.

Before Sicheng could answer, the paper slid across the table to where Yuta sat. “Conference information. Do you wanna read it?” with a wave of his hand, he slid it towards Mark. 

“Why are you trying to flex your powers?” Sicheng asked. Mark picked the paper up and read it.

Conferences are annual meetings among witch groups in certain regions. The conference was being held in Jeju. At conferences, people will receive their stats. A transcript of how many hearts they have, what powers they have, and their chances of becoming a supreme. There was also a list of covens that would be participating. Mark saw their coven name along with a few others like the Seoul Youth Coven, led by Lee Jeno and Weishen Coven led by Qian Kun. “Oh, interesting,” Mark said, handing the paper back to Yuta. Everyone had arrived at the table, and Jaehyun set a plate of food in front of Mark. 

“So, Mark,” Taeil asked. Mark kept forgetting he was kind of the center of attention today. “It’s only been a few hours, but how do you like it here?”

“It’s nice,” Mark replied, taking a bite of his food, that was much better than he thought it would be. Hyuck wasn’t lying when he said Jaehyun was a good cook. “I.. like my room. It’s.. comfy? Sorry, this is so good.” he said, pointing to the plate in front of him.

Everyone chuckled. “Yeah, that’s why Jaehyun is kind of the one who cooks for us.” Taeil said. “Can you cook? Maybe Jaehyun will finally have some competition around here.”

Mark thought about the time he cut fruit with scissors. “Cooking isn’t my thing,” he said. 

“Bummer. Jaehyun needs to be humbled.” Yuta said, calling a napkin to his seat. 

“Huh? I’ll have you know I’m very humble! Don’t make me sound like an asshole.” Jaehyun responded, straightening up. 

Yuta laughed. “Humble people usually don’t have to prove that they’re humble.”

“I don’t have to prove I’m humble,” Jaehyun started, but Yuta cut him off.

“I’m just teasing you, man. Loosen up a bit, will you?” he took a bite of his food. “Plus, everyone here knows..” Yuta’s voice trailed off. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing. Mark looked around. What was he missing?

“Do you hear something?” Jungwoo asked. 

“Yeah.” Yuta’s quick answer made everyone get up and go to the windows. 

Taeil got up. “Jaehyun, Johnny, check the back. Jungwoo, Donghyuck, check the front. Sicheng and Yuta, check the right side of the house. Taeyong, come with me to check the left.” he ordered. They all nodded, silently going where Taeil directed them.

“Uh, what should I do?’ Mark asked, getting out of his seat.

“Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to forget you. You can check the front with Jungwoo and Hyuck.” he left without saying anything else.

Mark was already behind, so he jogged outside to catch up with the pair who was checking the front. Hyuck was kneeling in the driveway. When Mark reached him, he was holding a cigarette butt in between his fingers. “Humans are so stupid,” he mumbled, standing up. “Someone’s been here. Did your driver smoke?”

Mark shook his head. “No.”

“So that means someone could be here?” Jungwoo asked.

Hyuck nodded. “Yeah, this usually happens when covens get new members. Somehow humans can pick up on it and follow the cars here. It isn’t a rare occurrence but we still have to take the threat of humans being here seriously. Especially since so many of them want us dead.”

“Sorry,” Mark said.

“For what?” Hyuck chuckled. “I said it wasn’t a rare thing. They probably left the second they got here. Seeing an actual coven usually freaks people out.”

“Hey! Back here!” Mark heard Yuta’s voice call out. Hyuck and Jungwoo immediately ran towards his voice, and Mark followed.

“Shit, that’s a person. I think I might have spoken too soon.” Hyuck said. 

He was right, there was a person just standing in the backyard. They looked terrified, but it looked like they pulled out a knife.

“Look, this doesn’t have to escalate any further. We don’t wanna hurt you, so just leave.” Yuta told the man. 

The man shook his head, yelling out and lunging at Yuta, slicing him across the arm with his knife. Suddenly, the man froze in his tracks, his eyes rolling back to his head and collapsing. Mark didn’t think that was supposed to happen. Mark didn’t even realize that he had put his audible inundation power to use until the man fell to the ground. 

“Alright, who did what?” Yuta asked, rubbing his wound. It quickly faded away. “Because I’ve never seen a reaction like that.”

“Uh, I think I used my inundation power,” Mark said softly.

“I used my amplification power. It looks like he was pretty scared of us.” Sicheng laughed. “That mixed with a ton of voices in his head must’ve made him pass out.”

“That’s… interesting.” Taeil said. Mark looked up to see that everyone else had made their way to the side of the house. “Jungwoo, make sure to use your sleep power on him. I know he’s already asleep, but we need to make sure he’ll wake up with no memories of us. Jaehyun, can you move him to the side of the road? Everything looks clear, so I think we can head back inside.”

Jaehyun nodded, picking up the man like he weighed nothing. He began walking away from the house with Jungwoo by his side to make sure the man woke up confused. Everyone began heading back inside, and Mark was relieved no one was mad at him for using his powers when he maybe didn’t have to. Everyone took their seats and continued eating as if nothing had happened, like Yuta hadn’t gotten sliced by that man. Mark would have to get used to people wanting to kill him and using his powers. He never used them, except for his healing power. But he only used it on himself.

“You good?” Johnny asked.

Mark looked up. Everyone else had finished their food, but he had just been moving it around on his plate. “Yeah, I’m good. Just thinking.”

Johnny nodded slowly, as if he knew there was more but not wanting to prod. “Alright.”

Mark ate his food maybe too fast, taking his plate to the kitchen. “I can wash the dishes if you want,” Mark told Doyoung, who was already in the process of washing them.

“No way. It’s your first day here, you won’t have dish duty for a few weeks. Plus, I think Taeyong and Taeil want to talk to you.” Doyoung said, scrubbing a plate. 

“Oh, alright,” Mark replied, slightly relieved. He left the kitchen and went back to the dining room to talk to Taeil, but he was already gone. He looked around, lingering around for a few seconds to make sure he didn’t come back. “Does anyone know where Taeil went?” Mark asked.

“Upstairs. Go to the room at the end of the hallway, he should be in there with Taeyong.” Hyuck told him. Mark nodded thankfully and went upstairs, slowly making his way to the room at the end of the hall. Why was he nervous? He put his hand on the doorknob but immediately pulled it away as if there was a fire on the other side of the room. He knocked. “Hey, it’s Mark.”

Not even a second after Mark knocked, he was face to face with Taeyong. “I could tell it was you. I could feel your nervous energy from a mile away.” he breathed.

“Really? Sorry about that.” Mark scratched his neck as Taeyong welcomed him into the room. It was a nice sized office room, with shelves of books and a desk where Taeil sat. Mark took a seat in front of him, and Taeyong took a seat next to Taeil. “Wow, I feel like I’m back at school in the principal’s office or something.”

“Right? It does feel like that. I always thought this felt too professional.” Taeil said, clicking his pen and setting it down. “I think you’re caught up on most of the things we need to talk to you about, but there are still some little things we should tell you about. Do you think you understand the conferences enough? I saw you reading the paper Yuta had.”

“Yeah, I think I understand it,” Mark replied. 

“Good. Now, family visitation. People outside of the coven are not allowed to know the location of the coven, but we can always send you back home if you want to visit your family. You’re allowed 3 visits a year. Just let us know so we can arrange it.” Taeil explained. Mark nodded. 3 times a year? That was so few, but he was sure his family would be fine with that. “I’ll have to give you..” Taeil paused, moving around the papers on his desk. “Shit. Taeyong, I left the visitation forms in my room, can you get them for me please?” he sighed. Taeyong nodded, jumping up and leaving Mark alone in the office with Taeil.

Taeil quickly leaned forward. “Mark, listen to me.”

Mark’s eyes widened, and he jumped from Taeil’s sudden movement. “Huh?”

“I need you to take the conference very seriously. I get a feeling from you… one that I’ve never gotten before. I think you might be a lot more powerful than you think.” Taeil said quietly. “I think you still have some powers to discover.” 

“I-I don’t think so...” Mark shifted in his seat.

“Trust me, Mark. You have the potential to be one of the most powerful witches in this coven.” Taeil’s eyes burned into Mark’s soul. “So when we go to the convention, I’ll help you find out more information about you, alright?”

Mark nodded slowly. He wanted to cover his ears. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go home. He didn’t want to be different from anyone else, he wanted to be Mark. Not a super-powerful witch. Taeyong returned with the forms, and he set them down in front of Mark. Mark mindlessly signed them. The rest of what Taeil told him went in one ear and out the other. He caught the gist of most of the rules - no dating anyone outside the coven, dating someone in the coven isn’t prohibited but is not encouraged, try not to use your powers when around normal people, there are mental and physical checkups every 3 months, and at the convention, he will receive a bunch of vaccinations. He had to sign a bunch of forms he didn’t read. He couldn’t do anything now, he had already given up his normal life.

“Any questions?” Taeil asked.

“No.” Mark answered. 

“Alright. Boring stuff is over, you can go.” Taeil told him. 

Mark got up and left the room before he could say anything else. He went to his room and checked his phone. It was 8 p.m. now, which meant he had zoned out on Taeil and Taeyong for nearly an hour and a half. He closed his door and locked it, throwing his head into his hands. Hot tears fell out of his eyes, wetting his hands. “Stop it, Mark,” he told himself. “Stop it.”

A knock on his door made him jump. He quickly wiped his eyes. He unlocked his door and opened it.

Taeyong stood there, his face wet with tears and holding a box of tissues. “Hey. Rough night?”

Mark forgot about Taeyong’s empathy power. He always knew how people were feeling and could feel them too. Suddenly Mark felt bad for being so weak. He meekly took the box of tissues from his hands. “I’m sorry. I’m just… overwhelmed, I think.”

Taeyong gave him a warm smile. “That’s okay. Don’t be afraid to talk to us. We’re your family now.”

Mark nodded. Easy for him to say, he thought. It isn’t his first day here.

“Rest up, kid. You’ve had a long day.” Taeyong closed Mark’s door.

Taeyong was right. But physically, Mark wasn't tired thanks to the nap he took earlier. But mentally, he was drained. He didn’t want to think anymore. He didn’t want to feel anything. He thought it’d be better for him to be asleep, to recharge his mind so he could maybe think about everything with a clear head. He found himself walking downstairs, searching for Jungwoo. One of his powers was sleep induction, so surely he could help Mark out. He slowly walked through the dark hallways, to the parts of the house he hadn’t even explored yet. He could hear voices coming from somewhere. He just let his legs take him wherever they decided to go. He finally found the source of the voices. Johnny, Yuta, and Doyoung were in what Mark assumed was the living room, and they all stopped talking and looked at him as he approached the doorway.

“How was your meeting with Taeil?” Johnny asked, taking a sip from the glass in his hand.

“Fine. Um, where’s Jungwoo?” Mark asked, scratching his head.

“Right here.” a voice was behind him. 

Mark turned to see the older boy standing behind him, holding two bags of chips in his hands. “Have you been crying?” Jungwoo asked, pinching his cheek.

Mark jerked his head away. “No. I have allergies.”

“Do you want a drink?” Yuta asked, holding his glass up.

“I’m good,” Mark replied.

“Why’d you want to see me?” Jungwoo asked.

“I need you to put me to sleep. I want to sleep but I’m not tired.” Mark told him.

“Okay,” Jungwoo responded, setting his things down. “I can do that.” he raised his hands.

“Wait, not here!” but Mark was too late, and he was already asleep, his body collapsing.

“Jungwoo, for God’s sake, will you let people finish their sentences?” Doyoung asked. He set his drink down on the table and stood up. “You’re gonna help me move him to his room.”

“No, wait! Get Jaehyun Hyung to do it! It’d be a lot faster that way, wouldn’t it?” Jungwoo suggested, picking his chips up.

Doyoung responded by focusing in on Jungwoo and then punched himself in the shoulder. Jungwoo winced, dropping his chips back onto the floor. “Fine, I’ll help you move him.” He whined, squatting down and sitting Mark up. 

“Ah, Mark, welcome to the coven.” Johnny chuckled.


	2. it's okay, the sun will always come back out.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark goes out with Sicheng and Hyuck where he learns more than he expected about the pair. He starts to feel more comfortable in the coven, except for the fact that Hyuck won't stop making him blush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! i finally updated after like . almost 2 weeks oops  
anyways i'm so sorry if this chapter is kind of boring ;; next chapter will be more fun i promise !!   
this chap is also kinda short so the next one will be longer as well, i'm excited to write it hehee  
that being said i hope whoever reads this enjoys it <3 @.@

Mark’s eyes fluttered open, the light seeping through the windows making them squeeze shut again. He lifted his head, eyes squinted, feeling groggy. He patted his surroundings for his phone, which was still asleep in his pocket, low on battery since Jungwoo knocked him out with no warning. He turned it on and his eyes almost popped out of his head. It was almost 11 am, which meant he had slept for over 12 hours. He felt rested, sure, but he hated sleeping in late. He jumped out of bed and grabbed a change of clothes, and opened the last packed suitcase that held his toothpaste, toothbrush, and some skin products. Luckily, no one was in the bathroom, so he slipped inside, locking the door behind him. He placed his items on the counter and turned on the shower, watching the sleep that clung onto his body off. 

After showering, shaved, washed his face, brushed his teeth, made sure his hair didn’t look too crazy, and then changed into his clothes. He grabbed all of his items and put them back in his room and went downstairs. He walked into the dining room where Sicheng and Hyuck. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Hyuck greeted, talking around a mouthful of food.

“Hey,” Mark replied. He dragged his feet to the kitchen. Jaehyun was doing the dishes. 

“You missed breakfast. Hyuck took your serving. Sorry.” he said, scrubbing a plate. 

“It’s okay… I’m not very hungry,” he told the other boy, opening the fridge. “Uh, where are the cups?” he asked. 

Jaehyun motioned his head towards a nearby cupboard. Mark grabbed one and poured himself a cup of orange juice. He took a sip. “What’s everyone up to?”

“Taeil and Taeyong are at a meeting… besides that, I think everyone’s just doing their own thing.” Jaehyun answered. “We aren’t the most exciting group of people.”

Mark chuckled. “That’s fine with me.”

Seconds later, Hyuck crashed through the door, putting his dishes into the sink by Jaehyun’s dismay. 

“Sicheng and I are gonna go out. Do you guys wanna join?” Hyuck jumped up to sit on the counter.

“Where are you going?” Mark asked. 

“Just gonna do some hiking. Maybe get some food.” He replied.

Jaehyun removes his rubber gloves. “I would, but I told Johnny and Yuta I’d go grocery shopping with them. And get off the counter,” Jaehyun scolds Hyuck, pushing him off the counter a little too roughly. 

“Dude! Did you forget you’re basically the Korean hulk?” Hyuck rubs his shoulder and pouts. “Anyways, Mark, if you wanna join us you can.”

Mark shrugged, taking another drink of juice. “I’ll join.”

They all leave the kitchen. “How are we gonna get there? Can either of you drive?” Mark asked.

Hyuck shook his head. “We have a driver. He’s gonna drive us there.” Mark nodded, looking around for Sicheng.

“Are you guys ready?” Sicheng appeared from the staircase. Hyuck nodded.

“Let me go get my phone.” Mark bounds up the stairs. He grabs his phone and turns to go back downstairs, running into someone. 

“Hey, Marky Mark.” Jungwoo greets him. “Did you sleep well?”

“Haha, very funny. I slept great, though. Next time, can you like, give me a warning?” Mark says, walking down the stairs behind him.

“Yeah, of course. I just wanted to prank you.” Jungwoo says. “Where’s everyone going and why wasn’t I invited?” 

“Johnny, Yuta, and I are going grocery shopping. Hyuck, Sicheng, and Mark are going hiking. Doyoung is watching TV. If you wanna join any of us hurry up before our drivers get here.” Jaehyun told him. 

Jungwoo made a disgusted face. “I’d stay with Doyoung, but he doesn’t let me have the remote… can I join you guys at the store?” 

Jaehyun nodded. “Yeah. You just have to sit in the middle.” He walked out of the room. 

Jungwoo pouted. “I hate the middle.” 

“Our driver’s here. See you guys later!” Hyuck shouted, opening the front door. Mark followed behind Sicheng and Hyuck, waving at Jungwoo before closing the door. A man sat in the driveway in a small, black car. Hyuck got in the front seat and Mark sat in the back with Sicheng. 

“Where are we going hiking?” Mark asked. 

“There’s a trail about 45 minutes from here. We can eat there too along the river and then go hiking. Or we could hike the trail first and eat afterward.” Sicheng told him. “Johnny and Yuta recommended it to everyone.”

Mark nodded, looking out the window at his barren surroundings. “We could eat first if you guys want to, although you guys just ate.” He turned to look back at them. 

Hyuck turned to look at them. “It’ll take a while to get there, we might be hungry by then.”

Sicheng raised an eyebrow. “Who’s we?”

Mark grinned and turned his head back towards the window. He was thankful he already felt comfortable, but he still felt homesick. He listened as Sicheng and Hyuck talked about the conference. It was coming up fast — apparently, they were leaving at the end of the week and they were all going to spend 3 days in Jeju. 

“I miss the other covens. I wish we could see them more often.” Hyuck said. 

“Yeah. It’s hard to meet up though.” Sicheng replied. “That’s why I love conferences.”

The car fell silent and the radio played softly in the background. Mark sighed. He hated long car rides. After a while of silence, Mark noticed Hyuck had fallen asleep. He chuckled. 

“Car rides with Hyuck are always like this,” Sicheng told him. “You’ve never been to a conference, right?” 

Mark shook his head. 

Sicheng nodded. “I think you’ll like them. It’s nice to have friends from outside covens even if you can’t see them often. It gets kind of lonely with just us 10. I used to be really lonely until I met Yuta.” He looked out of his window. “None of my friends were witches.” 

“Neither was mine. No one even knew I was a witch.” Mark said. 

“That’s common among us all, I think. It’s scary knowing you’re the odd one out. I’m just glad my powers were useful. I was a top student.” Sicheng laughed. 

“I never really used my powers a lot… they’re kind of hard to use in everyday life. They’re hard to control, too.” Mark replied. 

Sicheng sighs. “I can only imagine. Almost all of your powers include other people’s minds.” He pauses. “Can you read minds?”

Mark nodded. “Do you want me to read your mind?”

Sicheng nodded. “Sure. What am I thinking about right now?” 

Mark focused on the boy in front of him. 

Yuta?

Mark furrowed his brows. 

Oh, no. Now he’s thinking about baeksook. 

“You’re thinking about baeksook.” Mark smiled. 

Sicheng clapped. “Sure am! Johnny and Yuta have been talking about how good the baeksook was before they went hiking for a week now.” 

“Must be good, then,” Mark replied. “Do you miss home?” He asked softly. 

He had a lot more in common with Sicheng than he thought. He had already talked to Johnny about being homesick but talking about it comforted him.

“Of course. I’m far from home.” Sicheng’s reply was just as soft as Mark’s question. 

“I’m just scared I’ll never get over my homesickness.” Mark shrugged. 

Sicheng smiles. “It’s your second day here, of course you’re homesick. But I get what you mean. It comes in waves, I think. It goes away, but it always finds its way back when you’re sick or on holidays. I wasn’t close with my family but miss my friends a lot. I miss the familiarness of home.” 

The familiarness of home was what Mark missed the most. “Yeah. That’ll be hard to get over.” 

“But it’s not too bad. You’ll feel better in time.” Sicheng crosses his arms, his eyes threatening to close and make Sicheng join Hyuck in dreamland. “We’re your family, too, if that brings you any comfort.”

Mark smiles. “It does.” 

Sicheng returns his smile and closes his eyes, leaving Mark with his thoughts. Mark watched as the empty fields turned into towns, and then cities. And before he knew it, they had arrived at their destination. The driver woke up Hyuck and Mark woke up Sicheng. They exited the car and were greeted with cool air, but the sun enveloped them in a warm hug. 

“Must be having a nice day?” Sicheng elbowed Hyuck, whose power included being able to control the weather with his emotions. 

Hyuck grinned. “Yeah.” The walked to the eating area and ordered their food, the baeksook Johnny and Yuta couldn’t shut up about. 

“So, Mark,” Hyuck said, sitting down. “Tell us more about yourself. I feel like we’ve been talking over you the whole time. What do you like to do?”

Mark looked down at the ground. “Um… I don’t know. I’m kind of boring. I wanted to do something with music, like Taeil. I was really studious although it never really showed through my grades. I was a pretty average student. I like to play guitar.”

“Really?” Hyuck asked, his eyes growing wide. But then his shoulders dropped. “You didn’t bring your guitar, did you?” 

Mark shook his head. “I don’t have one anymore...”

“Oh… that’s okay. When I first joined the coven, we would have bonfires and Taeil or Jaehyun would bring the guitar out and we’d all sing. It was nice. They helped Sicheng learn guitar, too. But the guitar got broken and we haven’t bought a new one yet… we should do that.” Hyuck stared forwards, reminiscing. “I just kind of miss when we were all…” he paused. 

“Younger? More carefree?” Sicheng suggested. 

Hyuck nodded. “Yeah. When we didn’t have so many things to worry about. And then humans started trying to kill us again.”

Mark almost choked on his soup.

“Like I said yesterday, it’s not often but… it never used to happen. And it isn’t just us, it’s covens all over the world who are being attacked more often. Honestly, it makes me nervous to go to Jeju.” Hyuck sighs. 

Sicheng sets down his spoon and looks out towards the river that was behind them. “I’m sure security will be heightened because of everything.” he looks back towards the pair. “This happens like every 5 to 10 years.”

“Really?” Mark asked. Once again, he felt like he was very behind on his witch knowledge, thanks to Sicheng who possessed 2 powers that involved him just being way too smart.

“Mmhmm.” Sicheng pressed his lips together. “I remember reading about the worst incident… it was in… 1982 I believe? Covens were being completely wiped out. Hundreds of witches were dying every week. Luckily, it hasn’t been that bad since.”

“We should all just get super ripped. Beat every human who tries to kill us to a pulp.” Hyuck said in between sips of soup. “Jaehyun could kill anyone he wanted.”

Sicheng and Mark laugh at his suddenness. “Sounds good,” Mark jokes.

They finish their meal in silence, finally focusing more on how delicious the food was rather than talking. Mark watched as people walked along the river and started on the hiking trail. He checked his phone. It was almost 1 p.m. already. Mark leans back, the grass kissing the palms of his hands small kisses that make them itch. He lets his food settle by letting Hyuck and Sicheng finish it. Did everyone in this coven have huge appetites?

After finishing the food, they all got up and made their way towards the river, slipping off their shoes and rolling up their jeans to wade through it. It was cold, and Mark cried out when he overconfidently jumped in, making Hyuck and Sicheng laugh. They peacefully waded through it, becoming accustomed to its cool temperature. A child joined them, playfully giggling and splashing the surface of the water with their tiny hands. After a few minutes, Mark noticed that Hyuck had sat down in the grass beside the water. He walked to him, leaving the child with Sicheng, who hadn’t even noticed that they left.

“He’s always good with children,” Hyuck noted, pulling his knees up to his chest.

“Are you not?” Mark asks, sitting down next to him. 

Hyuck shrugs. “I mean… I like kids, but,” he pauses to sigh. “I didn’t have a good childhood. So seeing children happy makes me… jealous.” he chuckles. “Isn’t that pathetic? I’m a 19-year-old man and I get jealous of toddlers.”

Mark chuckles with him. “Well, atleast you’re taller than them.”

Hyuck smiles sadly. “My sister and I used to be so close. She took care of me, protected me from our parents. She was so good to me.” he says softly. His words were intertwined with such heavy heartbreak it made Mark nervous. 

“Was she a witch?” Mark asked, pulling at the grass.

Hyuck nodded, looking out towards the water. “When we were young, we would pretend to be in a coven. I guess that was our version of ‘House’ that most kids played.” he said with a smile. “She passed away when I was 12.” his smile quickly fell. “Thinking about it now… it was probably the best for her. I know that has to sound absolutely morbid, but she quite literally protected me with her life. I’m still convinced she would have taken a bullet for me. As a kid I didn’t completely understand, but… I don’t think my parents would have let her live. She was the complete opposite of me. She stood up for herself and never let anyone tear her down. And no matter what happened, she would always find me. Under the blankets, tears streaming down my face with my hands over my ears to block out the yelling… in my closet, my headphones turned all the way up. She always made sure I was okay before herself. But I could always see her puffy eyes, the red mark on her cheek, the scratches on her arms… she was braver than I ever was. She died in a car accident. The doctors said she died instantly, so I guess that left me with a little bit of comfort.” Hyuck told his story as if he had told it a million times before, but Mark could tell by the way he was holding himself that those words hadn’t left his mouth often.

“I’m sorry.” was all Mark could think to say. The sky had become overcast.

“That was when I lost my first heart,” Hyuck added quietly. It all startled Mark, truthfully. Hyuck seemed so confident and seemed so much like a leader. “It hurt so bad. I didn’t know what was happening. I thought I was going to die. I collapsed in the hospital after they told me. I woke up to a bunch of perplexed doctors wondering what happened to me.” his smile returned. “I never went back home. Well, besides the time I snuck in to get my stuff. Then I moved in with one of my friends.” he looks over at Mark for the first time. “I’m sorry. I think I’ve said way too much.” Hyuck stands up to look back at Sicheng, who was finally making his way towards them, completely oblivious to the fact that Hyuck had pretty much poured his heart out to Mark despite knowing him for less than a day.

“You guys ready to start the trail?” He asked, standing in front of them. 

Mark looked at Hyuck. He stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. “Yeah.” 

The 3 of them waded back to the other side of the river and put their shoes back on. They started down the trail. “Sicheng, how’d you lose your first heart?” Hyuck asked. 

Sicheng kept walking forward with his eyes on the ground. “Why do you ask?”

Hyuck shrugs again. “I feel vulnerable right now. And I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it.” 

Sicheng remains unphased. “It’s kind of sad. My parents wanted virtually nothing to do with me the second they found out I was a witch. My only friend was the family dog. But when they found out they put me and the dog in the car, drove out to the middle of nowhere and dropped the dog off and drove away as I watched. I was like, 8 when it happened so of course, it broke my heart.” He explained. 

“Wait, you’ve lost 2 hearts already?” Mark asked. Hyuck had asked him how he lost his first heart. 

“We both have,” Hyuck answered. 

Why did that make Mark feel guilty for having all of his hearts? He wanted to donate his to Sicheng and Hyuck. 

“I’m sorry.” came Mark’s automated response. 

Sicheng shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m not really interested in being a supreme leader anyways.”

Mark looked up at the sky. It was still overcast and it wasn’t as warm as it was when they arrived. He knew Hyuck was upset now but he didn’t know how to fix it. 

“Once when I was younger I used my powers to make my teacher give me an A+ on a test I didn’t study for.” Mark blurted out. Everyone was silent for a few moments before Hyuck started laughing. 

“Stereotypical witch behavior,” Sicheng said. 

“Only once? If I had your powers I think I would use it every day.” Hyuck said in between laughs. 

“Why are you laughing?” Mark asked, starting to laugh. 

“Because it sounds exactly like something you would do. That’s definitely Mark behavior.” Hyuck replied. 

Mark’s cheeks got hot. “You don’t know what Mark behavior is! I was a good student, I promise.”

Their laughs faded away and they continued along the trail in comfortable silence. “Hey, I think we reached the top,” Sicheng said, jogging ahead. “Look at the view!”

Mark and Hyuck caught up to Sicheng, looking out at the view. “Wow…” Mark said under his breath. 

The peacefulness only lasted for a few moments though. Hyuck pulled out his phone to take a selfie and realized that it was 2:34. Their driver told them he would arrive to pick them up at 2:30. The boys began sprinting back the way they came. It had taken them almost half an hour to get to the top. 

“Hyuck, put your phone down!” Sicheng called out, breathing heavily from their sudden exercise. 

Hyuck was recording himself as they ran. “Hey, I wanna remember this day somehow!” He shoved his phone back into his pocket. They made it back to the entrance in less than 15 minutes, making a few pit stops to catch their breaths. 

“Hey, Mr. Kim!” Hyuck shouted, opening the door. The boys piled into the car. Sicheng sat in the front this time. 

“You’re late.” The driver responded. 

“Did it really kill you to wait an extra ten minutes?” Hyuck buckled himself in. 

“Of course not. How was the hike?” Mr. Kim asked, starting the drive home. 

“Great,” Sicheng answered.

The car fell silent again. The only sound that could be heard was the radio playing softly in the background. Mark looked over to Hyuck, who was looking out the window. The sun came back out. Mark smiled to himself. 

_______________________________

They were the last group to arrive back home at about 3:30. Johnny, Jaehyun, and Yuta had put all the groceries away and Taeyong and Taeil had returned from their meeting. 

“How was it?” Yuta asked the moment they walked inside. 

“Good,” Hyuck answered. 

The energy in the house was better than it was before. It wasn’t as quiet or empty. Yuta stood in front of a mirror that hung beside the entrance to the kitchen. “Should I cut my hair before we go to Jeju?” he ran his hands through his red locks. 

“No. It looks cool.” Sicheng told him. 

Yuta flashed him a smile. “Thanks, but you’d say that no matter what my hair looked like.” he turned to Hyuck. “Should I cut it?”

“No. I actually agree with Sicheng.” Hyuck answered. He kicked off his shoes and walked to the kitchen. 

“Mark? Although I guess it doesn’t matter now. Even if you hated it,” he clicked his tongue. “Majority rules.”

“I like your hair,” Mark said. 

“Guess I’m good then. I think I’m still adjusting to having long hair.” Yuta said, giving himself one last glance in the mirror. 

“I agree with Sicheng, it makes you look cool.” Mark looked past Yuta and looked at himself in the mirror. “I still look like a baby.”

Hyuck exited the kitchen. “That’s okay. That just means you have the whole ‘looks can be deceiving’ thing going for you.” he walked past Mark and into the living room. 

Mark looked behind him, watching him walk away. 

“Hyuck seems to like you,” Yuta said. 

“What?” Mark furrowed his brows. 

“Yeah. He warmed up to you really fast.” Sicheng added. “I think he really trusts you for some reason.”

Mark looked at his shoes to hide his burning face. “Oh, yeah. I see that.”

Sicheng and Yuta went to the kitchen and Mark went upstairs to his room, sitting down on his bed and scrolling through his phone. His mind was racing. Did he like Hyuck? No. He just liked having someone to lean on already. He’s barely talked to anyone else. He was just making friends. Although, I don’t think friends are supposed to make me blush. Mark thought.

There was a small knock at the door, causing Mark to jump. He looked up and saw Johnny at the door, smiling. “Hey. I just wanted to check up on you. Feeling any better?” he was holding a bottle of banana milk. It looks tiny in Johnny’s hands. 

“Yeah, I think so.” Mark set his phone down. 

“If you ever want me to, I could always buy you something at the store that reminds you of home. Maybe maple syrup or something?” Johnny suggested, taking a sip of his milk. “Since you’re Canadian and all.”

“How did you know I was Canadian?” Mark asked.

“Taeil told me. I’m from the States. Plus I could just tell.” Johnny told him. 

“Really?” Mark sighed. “Do I have a Canadian accent or something?”

Johnny laughed. “Not really. I guess a lot of us didn’t get too into depth about our lives besides our backstories. If you ever wanna speak to me in English so you don’t forget how to, I’m always here. And so is Jaehyun. He can speak English too.”

Mark nodded. “Sure thing. It’s interesting how Taeil found us even though we were all over the world.” 

Johnny hummed in agreement. “Coven leaders have their ways.”

“Oh, and I’ll take you up on your offer. Not the maple syrup, but… just get some cookies and cream ice cream if you can. I know it’s simple but it always reminds me of summers with my family.” Mark said. 

Johnny smiled. “Sure thing.”

“Oh, and do you know where I could buy a guitar around here?”


End file.
